Light Painting...Please Help!!!

[photo58]

I have a Canon Powershot S3 IS digital camera and I was wondering if someone could help me w/ the settings so I can do light painting. I need help w/ the exposure, white balance, etc.

Please Help!!!

 

[ann]

the exposure is going to depend on the lighting, but you will probably need to be in manual metering mode so you can get long exposures than 30 seconds, however, i am not sure that camera will allow that type of use. Check your manual for long exposures

 

[TheSolicitor]

Long exposure.
Reasonable ISO--play with it, between 100 and 800 work for me.
If you can open the aperature, do that, but stop it down a couple of notches (6.3 or 7.1 work for me)

And this may be what you get...

or maybe this...

Hopefully that helps!

 

[photo58]

Thanks... how do I change the exposure on my particular camera?

 

[TheSolicitor]

That is something I can't help you with! I am completely unfamiliar with Canon equipment. I'm a Nikon guy. Sorry!

 

[ann]

youi need to open your fstop or change the shutter speed or both. Shutter priorty at 10 sec might be a good starting point. You will need to put the camera on a tripod.

You really need to check your manual, it will have directions, and even diagrams to help you locate these control locations.

 

[Buckster]

I made that at f/3.5 with the shutter open for 176 seconds in near complete darkness at about midnight. The light in the background was invisible to the naked eye and is from a town in the distance. I also used two speedlights, remotely fired at the end of the exposure time to light the area more than the LEDs I used to make the orb would do.

Definitely need a tripod, pre-focus and lock it down so that it doesn't try to search in the darkness, and then just do some experimenting with f stops and shutter lengths until you've got it working for you.

 

[Bram]

ZOMG! the infamous ball of light, please tell me your secret i have tried numorous times to get it right but mine always end up looking funny

and as for the light painting i have done some cool ones too. its all abotu the exposure like Thesolicitor said, i go fro about 100 ISO on my nikon as for how to change it on a canon i dont know sorry, set the tripod look through the viewfinder check the location use manual focus thats what i did. and then hit the shutter run out go nuts with your LED or glowsticks or what have you and run out and BOOM! see what ya get. best of luck